The Summer She Grew Up
by reneeharris49
Summary: College student Olivia Pope is accepted as a summer intern at Doyle Energy. Her first day in her new apartment building she meets her handsome neighbor Fitz, who tells her something disturbing about the previous interns that have occupied her apartment. How will Olivia handle the challenges this summer has in store for her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Big Move

Olivia was carrying the last of the moving boxes from her car to her new apartment. She was excited about her internship in the Marketing Department for the Doyle Energy Company. The move from Raleigh to New York was definitely a huge one, but she was ready for a change.

Smothered by over bearing parents, Olivia left home as soon as she graduated from high school. She moved in with her friend Abby and went to work in a fast food restaurant while attending classes at the local community college. She had dreams of moving to "the big city" and making it big. Her chance came when she met Edison Davis. Edison worked for Doyle Energy and was out at various colleges recruiting for summer interns. It was a chance to get her foot in the door. She had been very frugal and saved her money, so an unpaid summer internship wouldn't be too bad. It was her chance to get to New York and begin to make a name for herself, or so she thought.

_**Two months ago . . . .**_

Edison was a first class creep. He used these recruiting assignments as a way to indulge in his need and those of his partners for sex with young women. There were two tiers to summer interns. Those who received a full ride: room, board and a small weekly stipend. The second tier received no assistance. They worked long hours with no pay. You achieved tier one status by providing the best blow job or fulfilling whatever sick sexual fantasy one of the top partners might have. These lovely sweet things would provide partners at Doyle Energy with unending pleasure all summer long. The second tier interns were those who would not "play ball". They refused to indulge in the sex play. Therefore they received no assistance and were usually let go within a few days of the start of the internship.

Edison spotted Olivia in the crowd of summer hopefuls, he hoped she would be one of the tier one interns. She had a body that made you want to do wicked sinful things to. He could only imagine hearing her pant his name as he pounded into her. He had to keep from taking her right there on the registration table when she finally made it to the head of the line.

"Hello, I'm Edison. And you are?" he said extending his hand to her.

"Olivia Pope. I am a second year marketing student. I would love the opportunity to work for Doyle Energy this summer."

"I look forward to reading your essay" he said as Olivia placed it on the pile with the others. "I have a feeling you would be a great asset to our intern pool. " Edison responded snidely.

"Uh, thank you. I hope to hear from you soon." Olivia replied and walked away. She got a weird vibe from Edison, but she dismissed it.

_**Two days later . . . .**_

Olivia's cell phone woke her from a long overdue nap. She had classes all day and pulled a double shift at the restaurant the night before. She had come in from class and collapsed on her bed. The ringing cell phone was pulling her from the blissful dream she was having.

"Hello" she croaked.

"Olivia, this Edison Davis with Doyle Energy. I am excited to tell you that you have been selected as one of eight summer interns."

"Really" she exclaimed, wide awake now. "Mr. Davis thank you so much for this opportunity. You won't be disappointed."

"I'm sure I won't be" he replied. "You can expect an information packet in the mail in the next few days. It will outline the program and the details about your living arrangements and expenses." Edison was so confident the Olivia would be tier one intern, he had already approved an apartment and stipend for her.

"See you soon Olivia."

"Good-bye Mr. Davis."

_**Present Day**_

Olivia was carrying the last of the moving boxes from her car to her new apartment. She was excited about her internship in the Marketing Department for the Doyle Energy Company. The move from Raleigh to New York was definitely a huge one, but she was ready for a change. If everything went well, this could be a permanent move for her.

As she struggled getting the last box up the stairs, she heard footsteps behind her and then a deep baritone voice.

"Please, let me help you with that."

She turned to look over her shoulder at the stranger, ready to politely decline his offer. She looked into the pair of the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen. His curly brown hair was thick and luscious and begged to have her fingers raked through it. All she could think was that this man could take her to pleasured heights unknown to her, just by looking at her.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "I am only one more flight up in apartment 3G."

"How convenient, I live right next door in 3H. We are neighbors" he said with a crooked smile.

With effort, he hoisted the box on one of his broad shoulders and carried it up the last flight of stairs. Olivia unlocked the door and ushered him into the living room.

"You can just put it right there next to the couch. Thank you so much for your help."

"No problem. By the way, I'm Fitz."

"I'm Olivia."

"Nice to meet you. So where are you moving from?"

"Raleigh. I am part of a summer intern program here in New York."

"Oh." Fitz said with a hint of amusement. "I see, well hope that works out for you." He had been in the building for 4 years now and had seen the "interns" come through every summer. This petite goddess before him didn't appear to be the type of girl who had previously occupied this apartment, but he supposed you couldn't judge a book by its cover.

"What is that supposed to mean" Olivia inquired with a little bit of anger.

"I've seen the types of interns that have used this apartment over the years, you just don't seem like the type to sleep around for a job."

"WHAT! Who said I slept around for this job? What do you even know about me?" she screamed at him.

"Whoa, don't get all defensive because I called you out on your sleazy ways."

"Get out! I don't know what you heard or who you heard it from, but I don't sleep around and I definitely don't sleep around for a job! I am good at what I do and I don't need to be anyone's sexual toy to get a job!" She was seething. How could someone so gorgeous be rude and arrogant?

"Hey, sorry if I got the wrong idea" Fitz said, throwing up his hands and backing away towards the door. "That's what I heard about the other interns that used to live here."

"Well that's not me! No job is worth my dignity." Olivia said with fierceness.

"Again, my apologies if I have offended you. Good luck on the new job and welcome to the building." Fitz said as he went out the door.

Olivia sat down on the couch and tried to process what her neighbor Fitz just told her. Did Mr. Davis really select her for the summer intern position because he thought she would sleep with him? She would deal with that issue on Monday morning. Mentally and emotionally exhausted, she lay back on the couch and fell asleep.

**A/N: It's Scandal Thursday and I hope for hot and steamy Olitz time tonight. **

**Okay Gladiators, this is my first stab at writing FF. I have spent the entire Scandal winter hiatus wrapped up in your wonderful stories. It inspired me to try my hand at it. Please review/comment. Your feedback is welcomed!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dinner with the Neighbor

Olivia woke to the sound of her stomach rumbling. She stretched her neck from side to side to work out the kink that had developed while she was sleeping on the couch.

She still couldn't believe what her neighbor had said to her. Could it be true, were previous interns sexually involved with people at the firm? Was that expected of her? There was no way in hell she would do anything like that for a job. She wasn't a prude, but this was akin to prostitution and she was no one's prostitute. She would rather go back and work in the restaurant for the rest of life than to do something like that.

She decided that she needed more information from Fitz. She wanted to be as prepared as possible on Monday morning when she met with Mr. Davis. She dug her toothbrush out of her overnight bag and headed to the bathroom to freshen up before she went to speak with Fitz.

Ten minutes later she rang Fitz's doorbell.

Fitz was catching up on emails and watching the evening ESPN broadcast when his doorbell rang. He peered out the peephole. To his surprise, it was his new neighbor at the door. Quickly running his fingers through his hair and casting a glance around his living room to make sure there was nothing too embarrassing lying around he opened the door.

"Hi. What brings you by?" He asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about what you know about the other interns that lived in my apartment. Would that be okay?" Olivia said.

"Sure." He stepped aside to let her into the apartment. "I don't know much, I will tell you what I know."

"Thanks."

"Make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink? I have beer or orange juice."

"A beer would be great." Olivia sat on the couch. Suddenly, her stomach growled like a hungry animal. "Oh my, I am so embarrassed" she said blushing.

"Whoa, do you keep that thing on a leash?" Fitz asked jokingly. "Sounds like someone hasn't eaten in quite some time. How about we order some Chinese food and talk about the interns over dinner?"

"Sounds wonderful." She said.

Fitz walked over to his desk and retrieved the takeout menu. After making several selections and calling in the order, he sits next to her on the couch.

Their close proximity allows her to smell his cologne and to once again admire his thick hair and piercing blue eyes. She almost forgets why she came by in the first place. All she wants to do is run her fingers through his silky hair. She almost reaches out to touch the one curl that has fallen forward on his forehead and catches herself. Olivia can't recall feeling this way about anyone.

"So," she blurts out suddenly, "what can you tell me about the previous tenants of apartment 3G?"

Fitz too was mesmerized by their closeness. He had been involved with some very beautiful women in his life, but Olivia was something completely different. She was petite, but had an aura of fierceness about her. He was sure she could handle herself in any situation. But he was most captivated by her eyes and lips. He could drown in her big brown eyes and never regret it. Her plump lips begged to be kissed long and hard. He had never found himself attracted to black women before, but Olivia had him in awe. He wanted to run his hands over her smooth mocha skin. He felt himself leaning in to kiss her when she asked him about his previous neighbors.

"Umm, well there have been at least five young ladies who have lived there in the past three years. The last one was Rebecca. She was a nice, kind of quiet. She reminded me of my kid sister, Leslie. I saw her crying one day and asked her what was wrong. She didn't say anything right away, but on another day when I saw her coming home, there was this guy with her. She had the same sad look on her face as they entered her apartment. The next day I ran into her in the laundry room and I asked her what was going on. She told me that this Eddie dude was forcing her to have sex with him in order to keep her position. She felt like she didn't have any choice because she was here all alone and really needed to keep the job."

"Could it have been Edison and not Eddie?" Olivia asked anxiously.

"Edison sounds right. The guy I saw was black, uh sorry, African American, about 35. I got a real sleazy vibe from this guy. Anyway, Rebecca moved out in the middle of the night like three days later. I never saw her again. I guess she just couldn't do it anymore. Now that I think back, I remember seeing several older guys going in and out of that apartment with the other interns. I assumed from what Rebecca told me that all the other ones had had the same deal as she had."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Fitz paid for the Chinese food and motioned for Olivia to join him at the dining table. After retrieving plates, forks and napkins, they began digging into the food.

After several minutes of silence and inhaling half a carton of Sesame Chicken, Olivia finally spoke.

"I had no idea that this went on in this intern program. There is no way I am going to be a part of this. I guess this means I need to stop unpacking and head back home." She said in a defeated tone.

Curiously, a sense of panic filled Fitz. He didn't want Olivia to leave. Something about her made him feel at peace and at ease. He never wanted her out of his sight again. This wasn't rational thinking he knew, but his heart was yelling at him to find a way to keep her close.

"Maybe what Rebecca experienced wouldn't be the same for you." He said quickly.

"Maybe, maybe not. I guess I will find out on Monday when I meet with Edison Davis."

"Let me know how things turn out." Fitz said. "Please don't leave without talking to me first."

Olivia was stunned by his request. Why did he care what happened to her and whether or not she left without speaking to him? But part of her understood what he was really saying to her. Please don't leave me without getting a chance to know what could be between us. She knew then that he felt the same pull towards her that she did towards him. Somehow she had to make this job at Doyle Energy work.

"I won't leave without telling you. Scout's honor." She smiles at him.

Her smile eases the tightness in his chest that he didn't even realize was there.

They eat the remainder of the meal chatting about their background and schooling. He learned that she left home right after high school to get away from domineering parents. She learned that it took him a little longer to break free from the same type of household. Disappointing his parents by dropping out of college and going to work doing manual labor.

At 24, Fitz worked loading trucks down at the docks. He won't really have to work at all after his next birthday, because his trust fund will kick in and he will become a multi-millionaire. But, he enjoys working and the friendships he has developed.

At 22, Olivia is pushing herself to succeed on her own merits. She has put herself through college, and is on track to graduate in the Spring of the following year. This internship was supposed to be her springboard into a marketing career. Now she is not so sure.

Over the next two hours, Olivia and Fitz reveal more about themselves to each other than they have ever done with anyone one else before.

After the meal is finished, they both start clearing the table of empty food containers. Moving in sync without even realizing it.

"Thank you dinner. It would have been a lonely and stressful first night if it weren't for you Fitz".

"That's what neighbors are for." He says with a huge smile. His blue eyes twinkly and make Olivia's heart beat double time.

"I guess I should get going."

"Drop by anytime." He walks her to the door. As his hand reaches for the door knob, he leans in slightly and kisses her on the cheek. They both feel a spark, a surge of sexual tension for such a small kiss. They both blink hard several times, but both silently dismiss the feeling.

"Goodnight Fitz."

"Goodnight Olivia."

That night, as each lay in their separate beds, both Olivia and Fitz fantasied about being together. They both began to think of ways to see each other again.

A/N: So what do you all think so far? I would love your comments/feedback. Please accept my apologies in advance for errors that may occur in New York locations (I do not live there).

Also, I do not own Scandal or the characters within. I just love putting them in my own fantasy world!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sleepless in New York

Olivia didn't sleep much on Sunday night. She couldn't stop thinking about her dinner with Fitz. He seemed to occupy most of her thoughts the past two days. The way he laughed, his smile even the way he smelled. She found herself several times daydreaming about what it would be like to kiss him, to run her fingers through his hair as full weight of his body was on her as he pounded her brains out. Each time she caught herself with these thoughts, she would shake her head like a wet dog, trying to dislodge them from her brain.

When she wasn't fantasying about Fitz, she was overwhelmed by the thoughts of what she would face on Monday morning when she entered Doyle Energy. She had several nightmares of being attacked by Edison and other Doyle Energy partners in the boardroom; being forced to submit to several degrading sexual acts with each of them over and over again. She awoke from these nightmares in a cold sweat and the need to throw up.

She rolled over and looked at the clock, 2:45am. Great, she thought, ten minutes since the last time I looked at the clock. She decided to try some chamomile tea to calm her nerves and mind. She padded down the hallway to the kitchen. After putting fresh water in the tea kettle and setting it on the stove to boil, she leaned against the counter. How was she going to handle her meeting tomorrow? What would she do if she found out that the things Fitz said were true about her new employers? She knew she would never succumb to such tactics, but could she walk away knowing that others had suffer at the hands of such despicable men? Suddenly, Olivia felt extremely tired both mentally and physically. She turned off the kettle and went back to bed. She fell asleep within moments of her head hitting the pillow. Fortunately, she did not dream of either Fitz or Doyle Energy.

_**The same night in apartment 3H…..**_

Fitz normally slept like the dead. Nothing kept him awake. Not strong thunderstorms, not even the sounds of his horny upstairs neighbors going at it like something out of Wild Kingdom ("Yes George ….. Right there George…..Yes, Daddy!). Once his head hit the pillow, he was out for the count. But for the last two nights, he couldn't sleep because thoughts of Olivia kept invading his mind. What would it be like to kiss those plump lips? Would her hair feel as silky and smooth as he dreamed? Would she call his name out as he brought her to the heights of climax?

Fitz rolled over and looked at the clock, 2:45am. He had to be up in two hours for work. Flipping his pillows over to the cool side, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His last conscious thought was of Olivia's warm smile.

A/N: I know this chapter is short, but this scenario was something I had been obsessed with for a few days now. Next chapter will focus on Olivia's first day at Doyle Energy.

As always, I appreciate your comments and story suggestions.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Meet and Greet

Morning Routine

Olivia was wide awake when her alarm clock went off at 5:15am. She turned off the alarm and got out of bed, headed towards the bathroom for a shower. She stood under the hot spray, letting it ease the tension in her neck and back. She had decided to go into the office today with an open mind. She had to consider that Fitz, while sexy as hell, was a complete stranger to her and he was the only source of information regarding the partners having sex with interns.

She toweled dry and began to develop a plan of action. She was always one with a plan. It helped her stay focused and on track. She would not jump to conclusions about her new employers, but sit back and observe the environment. If what Fitz said was true, she would deal with it when the time arose. She would not allow herself to be sexually manipulated. But, she did not want to blow a great opportunity to jump start her career by being suspicious and overly guarded.

Going to her closet, she picked out a black pants suit with a blue/grey silk blouse. She dressed quickly and stood in front of the mirror, trying to decide how to wear her hair. She wanted to make the right impression today and how she wore her hair could be a huge factor in how she was treated. A ponytail seemed too casual for the first day, a French Roll too formal. She decided to put some loose curls in her shoulder length hair and wear it down. She could always clip it back in a barrette during the course of the day if it became too unruly. After applying a small amount of make-up, she took one final look in the mirror, appraising her appearance. She was satisfied that she looked professional enough for her first day at work.

Olivia gathered her things and walked out of her apartment at 6:15am. Since she was only a few blocks from her office and she didn't need to be at work until 8:00am, she decided to grab breakfast at a corner diner she noticed her first day in town. She was just about to exit the building when she heard someone call her name.

"Olivia?"

She turned around. There was Fitz. Her heart stopped beating momentarily and her mouth went dry, while other parts of her anatomy became extremely wet. He was coming down the last flight of steps. He had on a black leather jacket over a baby blue t-shirt, jeans, leather chaps and boots. He was carrying a motorcycle helmet in one hand. His walk alone was enough to make her swoon, he had this swagger that just said "I know how to do things to your body that will leave you begging for more". She gave an audible gulp before she answered him,

"Hi."

Fitz had hoped he would run into Olivia sometime today, he was pleasantly surprised to see her this morning.

"Hi" he said, "Off to work so soon? I thought you white collar types didn't start until 9:00am."

"Funny man, you should quit your job, go on the road," she replied with a smile. "If you must know, I am treating myself to breakfast at the diner this morning. You do know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Care join me?" Her brain froze. Did she just ask Fitz to breakfast? What was she thinking?

"I wish I could Livvie, but I'm already running late this morning," he said disappointedly. "Can I get a rain check on breakfast?"

"Of course," she said with a shy smile.

"Well, have a good first day. Be careful, okay?" He said this with a worried look on his face. "Don't let any of those creeps over there give you a hard time."

"I won't, I promise."

He hesitated and then said, "I should go. See you later Livvie." He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before he opened the side door that led to the building's parking garage.

Olivia stood there for a moment, relishing in the contact of their hands and replaying his nickname for her over and over in her head. Livvie.

Suddenly, she wasn't hungry for food anymore. She went to the diner anyway and ordered a cup of coffee and a bagel. She barely touched either. She spent the next thirty minutes thinking of Fitz and what it would feel like to have his hands on her body and to hear him whisper her nickname.

Noticing the time, she left the diner and started her eight block walk to work. She used this time to clear her head of Fitz inspired fantasies and focus on the day ahead.

On the Job

Olivia walked into the lobby of Doyle Energy. She was impressed by the highly polished bronze colored marble floor and pillars. There were lush green plants scatter around and the reception furniture looked plush and inviting.

She approached the receptionist, "Good morning, I am Olivia Pope, one of the new interns. I am supposed to report to Edison Davis this morning."

The pretty receptionist smiled and told Olivia to have a seat and she would phone Edison. Olivia thought there was something behind that smile, but quickly dismissed this thought. She did not want to be paranoid. "Keep an open mind," she muttered to herself.

Ten minutes later, a pretty brunette walked off the elevator.

"Olivia," she said walking toward her with her had extended, "I'm Quinn, Mr. Davis' assistant. Right this way. The Marketing Department is on the 25th floor." Quinn led her to the elevators.

"Did you get settled in the corporate apartment okay?" she inquired.

"Yes I did thank you."

"It's nice that the place is so close to the office. That way if you have to work late, you don't have very far to get home."

"Is that something that happens a lot, working late?" Olivia asked.

"Sometimes, just depends on what is going on at the time. But don't worry, the partners make sure all the interns get home safely," Quinn said dryly.

The elevator glided to a stop on the 25th floor. As the doors opened, Olivia took in the office space. It was bright and airy. Lots of open space in between the clusters of denim blue colored cubicles.

"This side of the office is dedicated to the Marketing Account Managers and the Summer Interns. You will be assigned a cubicle tomorrow. Right now, you and the other interns have an orientation meeting with the Marketing Account Managers and then a tour of the building. Later there will be a welcome aboard lunch on the 18th floor after that you will be free to go for the day."

"Will we get to meet Mr. Doyle? I read his book last year, he has a fascinating life story," Olivia asked.

"Sorry," Quinn replied "Mr. Doyle is in Beijing for two months."

They walked along the main aisle of the floor to the back of the office where there was a glass walled conference room. There were seven people in the room, two men and five women.

"Please take a seat," Quinn said to the group as they entered the room.

The group settled in along the conference table. There were folders at each seat.

"As you all know, my name is Quinn. Please complete the new hire packets in the folders in front of you. Be sure to sign and date your acceptance letter, rules and conduct letter and the non-disclosure agreement. I will return in fifteen minutes to collect the packets and then we can do a meet and greet with Account Managers."

The rest of the morning went by quickly with a "getting to know you" session for the interns followed by presentations from each of the three Account Managers.

Quinn arrived at noon to escort the group to the 18th floor for lunch. While there was a full service cafeteria on this floor, the group was taken to the partners' private dining room. There was a variety of food to choose from: steak and potatoes, Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parmesan along with roasted vegetables and salad. All served by a tuxedo clad wait staff.

Edison watched as the interns entered the room. He had hand selected each one. He knew that two or three of them would likely not finish the program, but that didn't matter to him as long as Olivia wasn't one of them.

"Good afternoon everyone," Edison said to the group. "We would like to take just a moment before we indulge in this fabulous lunch to introduce ourselves. My name is Edison Davis, I am Senior Vice President of Marketing, US. Here with me today are Louis Stalhbridge, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Europe and Marcus Conroy, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Latin America."

Each of the partners took a moment to introduce themselves to the group before they all sat down to each lunch.

Olivia chose a seat next to a pretty Hispanic woman, Hope Sanchez.

"You're Hope right?" Olivia asked.

"That's right and you are Olivia. Nice to meet you," she said extending her hand. "Isn't this all exciting? I have so looked forward to this program. It will look great on my resume."

Olivia was about to respond when she felt a hand brush across her shoulders. She turned to see Edison taking the seat beside her.

"Hello Olivia," he said.

"Good afternoon Mr. Davis," Olivia replied, trying to keep the mood professional.

"Please, call me Edison. Mr. Davis is my dad," he chuckled at his corny joke.

"I don't think that would be appropriate."

Edison leaned in close to Olivia and whispered in her ear "Then let's be inappropriate."

Right then, all of her worst fears were confirmed. What Fitz had said was true about the partners and the interns. What was she going to do?

Olivia suddenly felt ill. The room seemed too hot and she could hardly breathe.

"Excuse me Mr. Davis," she said as she got up from the table.

She quickly exited the private dining room and headed towards the ladies room. Once inside, she went to the sink and turned on the cold water. She pulled several paper towels from the dispenser and wet them. She placed the cold towels on the back of neck, closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She heard the door open.

"Olivia, are you ok?" Quinn asked.

"I will be, I just felt a little lightheaded." Olivia responded, her eyes still closed. She was afraid if she opened them, Quinn would be able to see the fear and disgust in them.

"Let me just give you a little advice," Quinn said quietly, "just go with the flow. This really is a great place to work, if you can get passed some of the …." She couldn't find the right words. "You can get passed this and have a wonderful career here." Quinn patted Olivia on the shoulder and left the ladies room.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself. She realized she had a lot to think about. She couldn't just up and quit, she needed the job not only for the small stipend, but also as Hope pointed out, it would look great on her resume. Going back to Raleigh was not what she wanted to do. But she wasn't sure she could stomach the unwanted attention from Edison. She decided to try and finish out the day, avoiding any close contact with Edison as much as possible. She would go home and review the pros and cons of keeping the job and make a decision about what to do.

She tossed the wet paper towels in the trash. Looked at herself one more time in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and returned to the dining room.

Edison had been watching the door for Olivia's return. He was afraid he had come on too strong and she had bolted from the table. He hoped that she would return. She was the most beautiful woman he had encountered in quite some time. His heart began beating wildly when he saw her enter the dining hall. She hadn't left. He still had a chance.

As she sat down, she said "I apologize for my abrupt departure, Mr. uh, Edison. I am afraid I did not have much breakfast this morning and I guess my blood sugar level was a little low."

"Well we can't have you working on an empty stomach," he said. "Let's get you a fresh plate of Shrimp Scampi. Waiter, please bring Ms. Pope a fresh plate of scampi right away."

"Please don't bother, I can eat this one."

"Nonsense, you need a fresh one."

Olivia forced a smile. She knew she would have to force herself to eat lunch and not throw up. She almost jumped out of her skin when Edison grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it.

She quickly removed her hand from his when the waiter placed the fresh place of scampi in front of her. She began to eat, taking small bites.

Edison began rambling on about his recent trip to London and Paris. Olivia half listened, nodding in what she thought were the appropriate places, she was watching the other partners at the table. They both seemed to be engaged in deep "conversation" with an intern. The whole scene made Olivia sick.

She finally saw the situation for what it really was. These men were bullies. They had all the power and all the control. Olivia hated bullies, ever since she was a schoolgirl. She remembered standing up to Jimmy Newcomb, when he was picking on the new kid, Jared Fisher in the 5th grade. She had warned Jimmy to stop bothering Jared, but he refused. She finally had enough one day on the playground, when Jimmy was throwing rocks at Jared. She marched right up to Jimmy and punched him in the nose. She thought his nose would never stop bleeding. But from that day on, Jimmy never bullied anyone again. These partners were just Jimmy Newcomb in there forties.

"Maybe it's time to give out some bloody noses," she said under her breath.

Suddenly, Olivia was no longer afraid. Instead, she felt angry and determined. She was going to put an end to the despicable actions of these men.

On the other side of the room, Quinn was watching Olivia. She saw the shift from fearful intern to determined fighter take place in her. "This is one is a game changer," she said to herself.

Maybe the tide had finally turned at Doyle Energy.

A/N: Hello Gladiators. Have you recovered from the Who Got Shot episode? I haven't! Even after watching it 3 times, I still yell at the TV!

Would someone please tell me why Olivia slept with Jake? She is making me quite angry these days. She knows she belongs with Fitz . . . just deal with it! LOVED Sally's tirades in this episode. One of my favorite ones out of all three seasons. Except for the "Take advantage of me Jake" part (UGH).

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know your comments/suggestions for this story.

I have a new idea for a story (tentative title – For the Love of Harper) about Liv and the child she never told Fitz they had. Set post Closetgate. Look for it soon.

As always, I do not own Scandal! I just love to borrow them and play in my own backyard.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Trip to the Bodega

Olivia manages to endure the remainder of lunch with Edison. She is walking back to the conference room with the rest of the group when Hope approaches her.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Hope asks.

"I'm better thanks. I just went too long without eating so I felt a little lightheaded."

"So what do you think about all of this?" Hope inquires.

"It's a lot to take in. I am really interested in learning more about the European market. I hope I get the opportunity to work with Mr. Thomas."

"I wouldn't hold my breath for that assignment." Hope says with a quick laugh.

Olivia reaches out and puts her hand on Hope's arm to stop her from walking.

"Why would you say that?"

"I guess it was the way that Mr. Davis was watching you this afternoon. I think he really wants you for his team. Didn't you notice that?"

Olivia sighs, she had hoped no one else noticed Edison's unwanted attention.

"I assumed he was just concerned about me since I left the luncheon," Olivia lies.

"You may be right, but he was watching you way before you left the room." Hope shrugs her shoulders and resumes walking towards the conference room.

Quinn is waiting for the group when they arrive at the conference room.

"Okay everyone, you are free to go for the day. Enjoy it, it won't happen often that you will get out of here this early."

Olivia gathers her belongings and is heading for the elevator when Quinn stops her.

"Olivia, are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, I am fine, thanks for asking."

"Just know if you need _anything_, please let me know," Quinn says, looking directly into Olivia's eyes. "I'm here to help you anyway I can."

"Thank you Quinn." Olivia feels at that point that she has an ally in her fight against the "bullies".

Olivia exits the offices of Doyle Energy at 2:30pm. She can't wait to get home to a hot shower and a glass of wine. She has a lot of thinking to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Feeling physically refreshed from her shower, Liz plops on the couch with a glass of her favorite red wine wearing her favorite silk robe. Her mind is racing. Before she can make a plan of action, she needs more information on the previous interns. She realizes that she will need to tolerate Edison's advances in order to gather more information and to stay under the radar.

She drains her glass and pours another. She wishes Abby were here, and not backpacking through Europe with her bonehead boyfriend David, to bounce ideas off of. With a huge sigh, she gets up from the couch and goes to the window. She watches as people move up and down the street.

"All of these people and not a soul to talk to," she says out loud. She has never felt so lonely before. She decides to get out of the apartment before she begins to wallow in the feeling of loneliness. She knows that she needs to get a few things from the bodega down the street, so goes to the bedroom and pulls a pair of denim shorts and a black tank top. She slides on her black wedge sandals and pulls her curly locks up into a ponytail. Grabbing her purse and a canvas shopping bag, she heads out the door.

Olivia is really in no hurry to get to the bodega. She takes the time to enjoy energy and vibration of the city. She has always dreamed of living in New York and now here she is. Amazing. She only hopes that she can make it through the summer.

She browses the shelves in the cramped store and manages to snag the last two boxes of microwave popcorn and a bottle of red wine. She knows she needs something more substantial in the way of food, but this would have to do for now. She walks to the cashier and pays for her items. She is not quite ready to return to the confines of her apartment, so she walks in the opposite direction of home and begins to window shop. About five blocks from her apartment, a store display catches her eye. She goes into the store, Eye Spy.

The door chimes as she enters. She immediately turns to the window display, it contains tiny audio and video recording devices hidden in various common items: buttons, brooches, teddy bears, and the like. These items gave her an idea on how she could begin building her case against Edison and the other partners.

"May I help you?" the store clerk asked.

"I would like to know about these devices in the window."

For the next 30 minutes the store clerk explains the differences between the surveillance devices in the display. While Olivia didn't make any purchases, she left the store armed with an idea of what she needed to accomplish her goal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia continues to explore the surrounding area for another hour. The delicious smell of pizza drew her to a restaurant called Carlita's. She enters the cramped restaurant and grabs a take-out menu, prepared to get her order to go. She has just placed her order for a meatball and mushroom calzone when she notices Fitz sitting at a corner booth reading the newspaper.

Suddenly, Fitz looks up from his paper and scans the room, and his eyes meet Olivia's. He smiles brightly and waves her over. He takes in the sight of her as she walks towards him. Her shorts show off her shapely legs and the tank top was just low enough to reveal the top of her pert breasts. In the few seconds it takes her to reach him, he has imagined her in his arms, her legs locked around his waist and him raining kisses down to her neck to the swell of her breasts. He holds the newspaper low as he stands up to give her a hug.

"Hello neighbor," he says with a smile. "Care to join me?"

"I don't want to interrupt you. I just placed my order to go."

"Don't be silly, I was just reading the paper until my order was ready. Please join me." He motions to the seat across from his. He takes her shopping bag and puts it on his side of the booth. He sneaks a peek inside. "Wine and popcorn? Pretty interesting combination," he teases.

"Don't knock it till you tried it," she says with a smile.

"You'll have to invite me over the next time you plan to indulge," he says. Once again his sweet, sexy voice causes a flutter in her lower region.

Before she could respond the man behind the counter calls out an order number.

"That's me, I'll be right back." Fitz gets up from the table and walks over to the cashier.

Olivia is entranced by the swagger he has. His walk is full of confidence and is undeniably sexy. She is so lost in watching his perfect ass retreat across the room that she did not see him turn and look over his shoulder at her with a smirk on his face. She feels her face flush and she quickly turns around.

"Get a hold of yourself girl," she says to herself.

Fitz returns to the table with a tray loaded with food.

"Here you go." He places her calzone in front of her.

"Oh, I didn't hear them call my order."

"I think you were a little occupied with "sight-seeing" when they called your order number," he chuckles.

She blushes again. "Thanks for picking it up, let me go pay for it." She starts to get up from the table.

"I took care of it for you."

"You shouldn't have. Let me pay you back."

"Don't worry about it. It is totally my pleasure."

"But this is twice now in four days that you have paid for my dinner."

"I might complain if you were ordering lobster and caviar, but I think my wallet can handle some Chinese food and a calzone."

"Well next time dinner is my treat," she says.

"I'm already planning where I want to take you Livvie." Neither of them miss the double meaning of his statement. "So how was your first day at Doyle Energy?" he asks, digging into his plate of chicken fettuccine.

"It was interesting to say the least. I believe what you said about the interns now. That Edison is a creep. The way he looked at me and touched me . . ."

Fitz drops his forkful of fettuccine, "He touched you Livvie?" There is anger in his voice.

"Oh god, he didn't fondle or grope me or anything! It's just when he shook my hand he ran his thumb across the back of it and he sat too close to me at lunch. It was gross. I felt like I needed a shower after being around him. Anyway, his actions just confirmed to me what you said about the partners and interns."

"So what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back to work there or will you go back home?" The thought of her leaving was upset him.

"I'm staying. What these men are doing isn't right. I have to stay and figure out a way to expose them and stop this kind of thing from happening again. I think I have an ally in Quinn, Edison's assistant. It would be great if another intern or two who would be willing to help me. But regardless, I am planning on bringing down creepy Edison and his sex hungry cronies. I stopped by a store today that sells tiny surveillance equipment. I would like to get a camera or two and plant them around the office, but they are a little out of my price range for now. But I am not giving up. I have to fix this somehow."

He is impressed with her determination. This woman is a force to be reckoned with and he finds her sexy as hell. He is happy she decided to stay and fight. He vows right then he will do anything he can to help her and anything necessary to protect her.

"So enough about me. How was your day Fitz?"

"Same as usual, loading and unloading containers and crates. Nothing exciting."

"Do you enjoy what you do?"

"Most days. I like working with my hands and I love the guys on my crew. We have a lot of fun together. We are like one big family," he says with a smile. "As a matter of fact, we get together on Tuesday nights around 6:00 at Joe's Pub on 89th for drinks and karaoke. You should join us."

"You want me to meet your friends? You barely know me."

"What I know so far I like. And to be honest, I would like to get to know you better," he says reaching across the table and taking her hand in his.

"I would like that too," she replies shyly.

They continue eating dinner chatting about their favorite music, movies and foods. It only seems natural that as they walk home that evening that they do so hand in hand. Anyone observing them would assume they were a longtime couple.

As they approach their building, Olivia feels sad that her time with Fitz is coming to an end. She thinks about inviting him in for a night cap, but is afraid he would think her too forward. She decides she will follow his lead.

Fitz enjoys the feel of her petite hand clasped in his. He finds himself stealing glances at her as they walk home. Everything about her is beautiful. He has never been so taken with a woman in his life. He wants nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss her, but he is afraid that would frighten her away from him. Especially given the situation at her office.

He drops her hand to open the front door of the building. He lets her walk ahead of him and as she passes he places his hand at the small of her back. His touch makes her stomach flutter. Who knew such a simple act could make you feel so good.

He follows her up the stairs and they stop in front of her door. She fishes her keys out of her purse and unlocks the door. She turns to him, as she pushes open the door, to retrieve her shopping bag from him.

"Thank you for dinner tonight Fitz. I really had a nice time."

"I had a nice time too."

There is a long pause between them. They just stand looking at each other. Neither one wants to do or say anything to scare the other one off.

"Well, good night," she says.

"Good night Livvie." He turns and walks down the hall to his door. He looks back and notices she is still standing in her doorway watching him.

"Livvie, are you okay?" he asks.

At that moment, Olivia decides to throw caution to the wind. "You forgot something," she says with a shy smile.

"What did I forget?" he asks walking back to her.

"You forgot to kiss me goodnight."

Those were the sweetest words he ever heard. He leans down and gently kisses her lips. What started as a tender kiss quickly becomes passionate as he wraps her up in his arms and pulls her body close to him. She loves the feeling of running her fingers through his curly hair. It feels right being in his arms.

On impulse, Fitz lifts her up and carries her into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind him. He stumbles with her in his arms over to the couch. He turns and sits down with Olivia still in his arms. Their kissing intensifies. They each moan as their hands began roaming the other's body. Fitz makes quick work of the button and zipper on Olivia's shorts. He runs his hand down her flat stomach to the top of panties. He pulls back from kissing her and looks in her eyes.

"Can I touch you?" he asks huskily.

She nods yes. He sneaks his hand inside her panties down the silky hair to the warmth and wetness of her core. He strokes her clit a couple of times and the sensation causes her to gasp. She opens her legs wider to grant him more access. He runs his long fingers up and down her slit, teasing her entrance before retreating to rub circles on her clit.

He is enthralled by the look on her face as he continues to stroke her. He uses his other hand to bring her face close to his and he begins kissing her once again. As she opens her mouth to accept his tongue, he inserts a finger inside of her. She moans in delight. Her walls clamp down on his finger as he begins to move it in and out slowly.

She begins to move her hips in time with his finger movements, this spurs him on. He thrusts a second finger into her wet heat. She breaks their kiss to let out a loud moan. He starts to pump his fingers in and out quicker. She leans in and begins kissing and sucking his neck. Her hips continue to move in time with his finger thrusts and since she is still on his lap, these movements create much wanted friction on his cock.

"Oh you feel so good Livvie," he pants. "Do I make you feel good?"

"Yes . . . oh yes it feels so good Fitz. Please don't stop."

Olivia moves slightly on his lap so she can reach down to unbutton and unzip his jeans. When her small hand comes in contact with his well-endowed member she gasps. He is huge! His hips jerk when she strokes up and down on his cock.

Fitz throws his head back and moans in pure pleasure. He continues to pump his fingers in and out of her, slightly curling them to hit her special spot. With each impact Olivia whimpers and tightens her walls around his fingers. Faster and faster they both manipulate each other. As Olivia feels her climax approaching, she buries her face in the crook of Fitz's neck, inhaling his musky scent. She bites down on his shoulder, her entire body stiffens and then begins to shake as waves of pleasure rush over her body. She continues to stroke his member until he too reaches his climax.

"Ohhhhhh….Livvie.….." he cries out as his seed spills all over her hand.

They sit in peaceful bliss for a few moments. Her face is still buried in the crook of his neck. She is embarrassed to look at him. He can sense her uneasiness and calls to her gently.

"Livvie, are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" he questions gently.

"No, it was wonderful," she murmurs in his neck. "It's just . . . . "

"Just what sweetheart," he says rubbing circles on her back.

"This isn't me. I don't do this sort of thing with someone I have only known for four days. I don't want you to think that I am promiscuous," she blurts out.

"Look at me Livvie."

She pulls back slowly and meets his gaze but quickly looks away.

"Look at me Livvie," he says a little more forcefully.

She meets his gaze again. His blue eyes hold warmth and love in them.

"I could never think that about you. I don't do this sort of thing either. But tonight, it didn't feel like we had only known each other for four days." He leans in a kisses her gently.

She sighs at his touch. She disentangles herself from him and goes down the hall. She returns with a warm wash cloth and towel for him to clean up with.

Once they were properly clothed again, she walks him to the door.

"Will you meet me at to Joe's Pub tomorrow night?" he asks.

"If I get off work in time, I will. Hand me your phone."

He pulls his phone from his back pocket and hands it to her. She programs her number into his phone. She quickly places a call to herself so that she now has his number in her phone.

"There, I will call you if I can't make it."

"Good night sweet Livvie," he says as he leans in to get one more kiss.

"Good night Fitz. Sweet dreams."

After he leaves, Olivia hops in the shower. She can still feel his fingers all over her body, especially in that sensitive warm place between her legs. She hums softly as she rubs lotion on her body and puts on her nightgown. As she crawls into bed her cellphone chimes indicating she has a text message.

**FG: Is it weird to say that I miss you already?**

**OP: No, cause I feel the same way** **Wanna come snuggle with me?**

When he doesn't reply right away, she thinks she has scared him. That she has been too forward. But then she hears the doorbell.

She practically runs to the door and disengages the locks as fast as she can. Fitz is on the other side, his hair wet from the shower, dressed in black pajama bottoms, a t-shirt and a big grin. He enters the apartment, closing and locking the door behind him. Wordlessly, she extends her hand to him and leads him to her bedroom. Neither one speak as they get under the covers. He inhales the citrusy scent of her soap as he spoons her from behind.

It feels natural to be in each other's arms. Within moments they are both asleep. Breathing in sync.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Sorry it took so long. My other FF, For the Love of Harper, has been dominating my mind these past few days. I hope the Olitz love in this chapter helps make up for the long wait.

I am completely enjoying your comments. Please keep them coming. They make me smile.

Scandal Thursday is tomorrow. We get to meet Gerry and Karen. It looks like Mellie and Andrew hook up again. Yay for her, that means she will be too distracted to interfere Olitz!

As always, I do not own Scandal! I just love to borrow them and play in my own backyard.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Tuesday is Karaoke Night

Fitz wakes up and looks at the clock. It is 4:45am. If he wants to work out before he goes to work, he needs to get up now. But he can't. He can't leave the arms of this beautiful woman. He looks down at still sleeping Olivia, her head is resting on his chest. They had gone to sleep spooning, but now their bodies are flush against one another. She has one arm loosely around his waist and one of her legs is wedged between his. It is as if during her sleep she desired to get as close to him as possible.

He pulls her in a little closer and kisses the top of her head. She stirs a bit but doesn't awaken. He gently disentangles himself from her grasp and tries to get out of bed.

"Where are you going?" she asks groggily.

"I have to go get ready for work."

"So early, it's still dark outside."

"I like to go to the gym before I go to work. Go back to sleep. I will see you later." He leans down and kisses her lightly on the lips.

"See you later," she says with a yawn. She grabs the pillow he had slept on and pulls it close. She snuggles back under the covers for a little more sleep.

**At the Docks**

Fitz arrives at the docks at 6:15am. He is the foreman for Defiance Shipping Company. He loves his job. It is not the life his father, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant II, envisioned for his son, but that doesn't matter to Fitz. He didn't want to be a lawyer (like is father) or a doctor (like his brother). He enjoys the physical aspect of his job. Using his hands and strength to accomplish his work. What he enjoys most are his co-workers. They are regular guys who love to drink beer, have barbeques and occasionally gripe about politics. While Fitz gets along with all ten of the guys on his crew, he is closest to two, Harrison and Peter. He considers them his family.

Fitz runs into Harrison and Peter getting coffee in the break room. "Morning fellas. How's it going?" he asks practically beaming with happiness.

Harrison eyes Fitz suspiciously, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows he looks at Peter, "Somebody got laid last night," Harrison says. "And it must have been G-double O-D GOOD," Harrison says as he high fives Peter.

"Tell us, man. Who is it? It's that Amanda chick from Accounting," Peter says, "she is too hot!"

"Or maybe it is Trixie in Personnel. I know you have been dying to get a look at those double D's outside of her tight sweaters. Did she finally give in to your Grant Charm?" Harrison asked, elbowing Fitz in the side.

"You guys are pigs!" he says with a laugh.

"Which one is it, Amanda or Trixie? Who has Fitzy boy sprung this morning?" Harrison jokes.

"Neither one, I swear," Fitz answers.

"I call bullshit," Harrison says.

"Yeah, bullshit," Peter mocks.

"Ok, I did meet someone recently and we happened to run into each other last night. We had a nice dinner together and I walked her home. End of story." Fitz said to them. He didn't want to tell them about all the events of the evening. He respects Olivia and doesn't want to put their private activities out in public.

"I still call bullshit," Harrison quips.

"Look guys, she is a nice girl. You'll see, I invited her to karaoke tonight."

"Oh now I know he is sprung. He invited her to meet the crew." Peter says with a laugh.

"Ugh, get to work!" Fitz yells good naturedly.

They exit the break room and head to their respective assignments. Fitz spends the rest of his day loading and unloading freighters. All the while thinking about Olivia.

**At the Office**

Olivia is so lost in her thoughts of her night with Fitz, that she almost runs directly into Hope as she enters the lobby of Doyle Energy.

"I am so sorry Hope. Guess I wasn't paying attention."

"No problem. What has got you so distracted this morning?"

"Oh, just wondering what the day will bring," Olivia lies. She didn't want to share with anyone her activities with Fitz. She wasn't ashamed, just private.

They enter the elevator and began their ascent to the 25th floor.

"Did the fire trucks keep you awake last night, I know I didn't get much sleep?" Hope asked with a slight yawn.

Olivia eyes her curiously, "What fire trucks?"

"The fire trucks that were outside of the building last night around 2:30am. That little Korean market across the street from the building caught fire."

"I don't know what you are talking about. There is no Korean market across the street from my building," Olivia says.

"Aren't you at 116th Street?"

"No, my building is on 125th," Olivia said. "That's strange, why wouldn't we all be in the same building?"

Before they could discuss it any further, the elevator doors opened and Quinn was there to greet them.

"Good morning ladies. I hope you had an enjoyable evening. Follow me and I will show you to your desks." Quinn led them down the hall.

Olivia and Hope are assigned desks right next to one another. Olivia also notes that her desk is in direct eye sight of Edison's office.

"You may put your belongings away and then join me in the conference room in 10 minutes," Quinn says.

They quickly put their things away and go to grab a cup of coffee before they head to the conference room.

"Unfortunately, the partners were called away to an emergency meeting last night. They will not be in the office today, but they did leave their intern selections with me and some work assignments for you all," Quinn states.

She passes out packets to everyone. Olivia's stomach churns when she sees that she is assigned to Joel Smith, U.S. Account Manager. This means Edison is her Managing Partner.

Hope leans over and looks at Olivia's packet "I told you he wanted you," she says.

Quinn dismisses the group and they return to their desks to begin working on their assignments. Olivia dives into her work assignment and quickly loses track of time.

Later Hope pops her head into Olivia's cubicle, "Some of the other interns are going to lunch, want to come?" she asks.

"Sure." She shuts down her computer and grabs her purse.

The six of them have lunch at the Subway across the street from the office. They discuss their excitement about the opportunity to live and work in New York City. It is during this conversation that Olivia realizes that none of the interns are housed in the same apartment building. This strikes her as odd. She mentally files this piece of information away.

On the way back from lunch, her cellphone chimes. It is a text message from Fitz.

**FG: Hi. I miss you.**

**OP: Hi. I miss you too.**

**FG: Will I see you tonight at Joe's?**

**OP: Yes, I'll be there.**

**FG: Good. See you at 6:00. **

Olivia spends the rest of the afternoon feigning interest in the report on wind energy she is reading. In reality, she wonders what she should wear tonight and if Fitz will sleep over again.

**At Joe's Pub**

Joe's Pub is a great place to hang out any day of the week. Since the neighborhood is so diverse Joe McKinney, the owner, decided to offer a different type music every night of the week. That way, no matter what you like you could get it at Joe's. The food at Joe's is beyond spectacular. The specialty is the Black and Blue Burger with curly sweet potato fries and habanero coleslaw.

Since Tuesday nights are always crowded at Joe's, Fitz showers and changes clothes at work so he can go directly to the pub to secure their table. Fitz arrives at 5:45pm and the place is already half full. He waves at Joe behind the bar and heads to their usual table. He orders a Jack and Coke and waits for the rest of his group to arrive. He has to admit he is a little nervous about Olivia meeting his friends. He hopes they all got along well. If they didn't this night could be a disaster.

He is finishing up his first drink when Harrison and his girlfriend, Petra walk in. Petra looks like a swimsuit model with her long lean but curvaceous frame, but in actuality, she is an up and coming private investigator. She works alongside a seasoned PI, Larry Kennedy, who is not only her mentor, but her godfather.

Next came Peter with his wife Sandy. They have been married for three years. While she doesn't have the killer body like Petra, Sandy is an exotic beauty. She has warm green almond shaped eyes and a mouth that has full lips that beg to be kissed. Her jet black hair hangs straight down to her waist. She is a master hacker and has been since she was in middle school. She works freelance, helping companies shore up weaknesses in their computer systems.

The group makes it way over to Fitz. After exchanging hugs and kisses with the women and fist bumps with the guys, they order a round of drinks.

"So, where is the lucky lady of the hour Fitz," Petra says.

"She'll be here," Fitz says taking a sip of his drink. "Look guys, please be nice. I really like this girl."

"Told you Petra," Harrison says loudly, "this girl has him sprung."

"I'm going to the bar to order another round," Fitz says getting up from the table. He needs just a little time away from all the attention. After he orders the next round, he leans on the bar and looks over the dinner menu.

Olivia walks into the crowded bar at 6:10pm. She is nervous about meeting Fitz's friends. Will they like her? Will she like them? She scans the room looking for Fitz. She sees him leaning on the bar. He is dressed in a white button down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark blue jeans. She makes her way over to him.

"Hi. Buy a girl a drink," she says to him.

He looks up from the menu and smiles. She is a wearing a short black skirt with a gold sequin tank top. Her hair is hanging in loose curls around her face. She had large gold hoop earrings dangling from her ears and one wrist was full of gold bangle bracelets. Her kissable lips are slightly shiny with lip gloss.

He pushes off the bar and embraces her. "Hi Livvie. I'm glad you could make it. You look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself." She reaches out and runs her hand down the open space in his shirt. When brown eyes meet blue the whole room ceases to exist.

"Yo, Fitz! Can we get our drinks?" Harrison yells from across the room.

Harrison's yelling brakes their trance. Fitz turns and retrieves the drinks from Joe. "Ready to meet the crew?" Fitz asks.

"As long as you stay with me."

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away from you."

They walk over to the table, "Everyone, this is Olivia," Fitz says as he passes out drinks.

Everyone introduces themselves to Olivia. She sits next to Fitz and sips from his Jack and Coke. The conversation is easy and light. Olivia likes his friends and they seem to like her as well.

"So what song is everyone singing tonight?" Petra inquires. "I think I am going to sing I Will Survive."

"Of course," everyone mumbles at the table.

"What about you Olivia, are you going to sing?" Harrison asks.

"I don't think so. You guys go ahead. I'll just watch."

"Oh didn't Fitz tell you, everyone one sings," Harrison says.

"Don't push her Harrison," Fitz growls.

Harrison throws his hands up in defense, "Sorry man, just joking."

"Liv, would you like to sing with us girls? It can be pretty intimidating to sing by yourself for the first time," Petra offers.

"That might be fun," Olivia replies.

"Great, let's go look at the song selection book," Petra says as she extends her hand to Olivia. The three girls go off to pick a song.

"Fitz she is super-hot," Peter says once Sandy is out of earshot.

"Yeah, Fitz super-hot," Harrison echoes. "Where did you meet her?"

"Actually, she's my next door neighbor. We met the other day and there was just this connection between us."

"I bet you connected with that. How many times have you hit that?" Harrison says with a chuckle.

Fitz is trying to control his temper, "Look Harrison, things are different with this girl. I feel like she could be the one for me. Please don't make any more crass remarks about her. I don't want to have to beat your face in."

"Hey man, sorry. Didn't know you were getting serious about his one. I'll cool it."

"Thanks, man." Fitz looks across the room at Olivia. She is laughing at something Sandy said. Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, she glances over at Fitz and gives him a sly wink.

"He's got it bad for you girl," Petra says as she watches Fitz watch Olivia.

"The feeling is pretty mutual," Olivia admits. "I have never felt like this about anyone. He takes my breath away."

They finally decide on a song. Olivia knows she will have to drink a few more Jack and Cokes before she will be able to get up on stage.

When they return to the table, Fitz grabs her hand and pulls on her onto his lap.

"Hey beautiful, I missed you while you were gone," he murmurs in her ear.

His warm breath tickles her neck and sends shivers up and down her spine. She squirms slightly on his lap, rubbing her ass against his crotch. His dick twitches in his pants.

"I think I need another drink," Olivia says huskily. She is well aware of the action going on in his pants and she needs a distraction from it.

"Sure, coming right up," Fitz says. As she stands up from his lap, she can feel his hand travel up the back of her thigh and cup her ass. He slips a finger under her panties and runs it quickly along her slit.

"Oh look how wet you are Livvie. What has you so wet?" He smirks as he withdraws his finger.

"Naughty boy. I'll get you for that."

Fitz smiles at her and heads to the bar to get her drink.

The bar is filled to capacity and everyone is having a good time. Several great singers have been on the stage as well as several bad ones. But it doesn't matter, everyone is having a good time.

"All right, now it's time for some eye candy ladies," the DJ announces. "Please welcome Hot Bods to the stage." Fitz, Harrison and Peter make their way to the stage. Several catcalls are made from the audience as the men begin their rendition of I'll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men. When it is his turn to sing lead, Fitz sings directly to Olivia.

"_Girl relax, let's go slow I ain't got nowhere to go_

_I'm just gonna concentrate on you_

_Girl, are you ready? It's gonna be a long night_

_Throw you clothes on the floor_

_I'm gonna take my clothes off too_

_I made plans to be with you_

_Girl, whatever you ask me you know I will do"_

Olivia is stunned not only by Fitz's smooth baritone singing voice, but the way he moves his body is enough to make her cream her panties right in her seat.

The boys finish their song to a rousing round applause. When Fitz gets back to their table, he can see the lust in Olivia's eyes.

"Can you top that? Or are you too wet?" he asks with a chuckle.

"Prepare yourself mister," she says as the girls are called to the stage.

Olivia takes a deep breath and then focuses only on Fitz as she sings Prince's Do Me Baby.

"_Here we are in this big ol' empty room  
Staring each other down  
You want me just as much as I want you  
Let's stop fooling around  
Take me, baby, kiss me all over  
Play with my love, ooh  
Bring out what's been in me for far too long  
Baby, you know that's all I've been dreaming of"_

Fitz feels like he is going to lose his mind. He watches as Olivia belts out the song and gyrates her body to the beat of the music.

All three girls sing the chorus, but Fitz only has eyes for Olivia,

_"Do me, baby, like you never done before  
Ooh, give it to me 'til I just can't take no more  
Come on and do me, baby, like you never done before  
Ooh, I want you now, I just can't wait no more, can't wait, oh"  
_

Olivia is into the performance. She closes her eyes and lets the music take over. She runs her hand straight down her body from her lips to her core, swiveling her hips as the song continues.

"_Here we are looking for a reason  
For you to lay me down  
For a love like ours is never out of season  
So baby, please stop teasing me  
Ooh, what you do, I can never love no other  
You're the best I ever had, ooh  
Whenever we're not close to one another  
I just want you so bad"_

By this time, the crowd is on their feet. The girls finish out the song and exit the stage with the crowd still cheering.

When Olivia reaches Fitz she pulls his face down to hers and kisses him with all the passion she has pent-up in her. She runs her hand down the front of his pants and feels how hard he is for her. When she suddenly pushes him away roughly he looks at her confused.

"I win," she says and saunters off to the bar for a fresh drink.

She makes it halfway across the room before Fitz catches up with her. He grabs her by the elbow and turns her around to face him. His eyes are dark with lust. She knows that there is no turning back now.

"Let's go home," he fairly pants.

She only nods. He leads her back to the table to retrieve her purse and to say goodnight to their friends.

Neither one of them hear Harrison yell, "Wait till you get home to put the hurting on her."

Fitz hails a cab. They barely touch on the ride home, for fear once any part of them touched it would unleash the unbridled lust they are trying to contain. The ride seems to take forever. The tension is becomes almost unbearable. Thankfully they arrive at their building. Olivia jumps out of the cab while Fitz pays the driver. She needs just a moment to try and calm down. The cool night air feels like tiny kisses on her skin. She keeps her back turned to him, afraid that if she looks at him she will have an orgasm right on there on the spot.

The cab pulls away and Fitz takes a moment to observe Olivia. She is shivering slightly in the cool night breeze. She looks so beautiful.

He walks up behind her and runs his hands up and down her arms. She moans and her breathing speeds up. He takes her by the hand and leads her upstairs to his apartment. He drops her hand to get his keys from his front pocket. She aches for contact with him, so she wraps her arms around his waist and lays her head on his back.

Fitz fumbles with the key momentarily, but finally gets the door open. He grasps her hands and pulls them off his waist. Leading her into the apartment, he kicks to door closed and turns to lock it. When he turns back to face her, their eyes lock and suddenly they are in each other's arms.

His lips press hungrily to hers as they both grind their lower half into each other. Her nimble fingers work the buttons of his dress shirt. She longs to feel his chest under her hands. Fitz pushes her skirt up to her waist and works his long fingers into her panties. He strokes her clit gently twice before thrusting two fingers into her wet core.

"OH GOD," she cries out.

Her walls contract against his fingers as he pumps them in and out. She throws her head back moaning in pleasure. She is so close.

"Don't stop, so close," she pants.

He doesn't want her to come like this. He removes his fingers and picks her up, taking her to the bedroom.

"Take off your clothes," he commands.

Turned on by his authoritative tone, she quickly removes her clothes. He stands staring at her for a moment before he removes his clothing. He embraces her and pushes her gently down on the bed.

He crawls on top of her, parting her legs with his and settles in between them. He doesn't move. He just stares into her eyes.

"You are so fucking beautiful," he says.

Olivia reaches up and runs her fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes at her touch.

"Fuck me Fitz," she whispers.

His eyes pop open and he stares down at her. He opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. Suddenly, he surges into her in one swift motion.

"FITZ! Oh, please …..wait…too big. OHHHHHH!" She tries to pull away from him.

Fitz stops moving. "Breathe Livvie. Relax." He withdraws from her sweet wetness a little. He figured she would be tight, but holy hell, he had barely gotten half way inside her. He has a horrifying thought and he looks down at her.

"Livvie, are you a virgin?" he asks her. He holds his breath waiting for her answer.

"Um, no. Not a virgin. Just been a while and never like you," she says breathlessly.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asks, praying that her answer is no.

Her eyes are closed and she is biting her bottom lip. She shakes her head no.

"Just go slow baby," she purrs.

"Nice and slow."

He pushes the tip of cock inside of her and stops, allowing her body to adjust. After a few moments he pushes in a little more. She gives off a sharp gasp and her body tenses.

"Easy baby, just breathe. We're half way there," he coaxes her.

"Half way! Oh my god Fitz. I don't think you'll fit."

He chuckles, "Oh, it will fit and it will feel so good once it does," he tells her is his sexy baritone voice.

It feels so good to be nestled inside of her tight walls. He continues to push his way in until he was all the way inside of her. He lets out a long and satisfying moan. Her walls pulse around him, driving him crazy.

"I have to move Livvie. I promise to go slow, but baby I have to move."

He begins to pump in and out slowly. As she adjusts to his size, he moves a little faster. He buries his face into the crook of her neck and plants kisses there.

"More Fitz. Please more!" She begins meeting each of his thrusts.

Her pleas spur him on and he increases his speed. They both groan at the sensations the new pace is giving them. He reaches down in between them and rubs her clit. Olivia's back arches off the bed so hard, that she nearly knocks him over. Turned on by her reaction he increases both the speed of his thrusts and the pressure he applies to her love button.

Olivia is coming unraveled right before his eyes. She rolls her head from side to side calling his name in between pants.

"Is it good Livvie? Do I make you feel good?"

"So good. Ohhhh god it is so good."

Fitz smiles and continues to work his magic. When he bends down and sucks one of her nipples into his warm mouth Olivia actually screams. Her hands fly to his ass, trying to push him deeper.

"Ahhh, I'm almost there. Oh god I'm gonna cum," she cries out.

"Cum for me Livvie. Cum for me sweet baby."

Fitz reaches down and pulls one of her legs up so that it rests on his shoulder. With his next thrust, Olivia reaches her climax. Her entire body freezes for a moment and then begins shake. When her pussy clamps down hard on his throbbing cock he climaxes, calling her name.

They lay entwined in each other's arms foreheads pressed together, their breathing and heartbeats slowly returning to normal.

Fitz opens his eyes and looks down at her, "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm okay. It's just been a while since I've been with anyone." she says.

He rolls off of her and she immediately snuggles up close to his side. He puts his arms around her and pulls her even closer. She lets out a contented sigh.

"Have I told you how much I love karaoke night?" she asks before she closes her eyes and falls asleep.

"It's my favorite night too," he replies with a small laugh before he falls asleep.

**On the other side of town**

Edison is happy to be home from his unexpected trip. He had planned to spend this evening with his new intern Olivia, but he would make up for that soon enough.

It is 12:30pm and he is anxious to get a look at the beautiful Olivia. He strides down the hallway of his penthouse apartment and stops in front of a door that can only be opened by key card. He swipes his card and pushes the door open.

Inside there are a bank of video screens and a small desk with a keyboard. All of the screens are blank until he types in his activation code. Suddenly, the room is filled with light as each screen comes alive with full color high definition images of every room in Olivia's apartment.

Edison eagerly scans each room for her, but she is not there. Disappointed he shuts down the monitors and exits the room. He strips off his clothes as he heads to the master bathroom to take a shower. After his shower he goes into the living room to pour himself a glass of scotch. He goes back the viewing room, hoping that Olivia has come home, but she is still not there.

He wonders why she is not home. Where can she be this late at night?

He will have to keep a close eye on this her, he thinks to himself. He goes to bed and dreams of Olivia Pope.

A/N: After Thursday's crazy episode, I needed some good old fashioned Olitz sexy time. I hope it helped fill the void for you too.

It took me the longest time to figure out what song Liv could sing should sing at karaoke to drive Fitz wild, then I heard Prince's version of Do Me Baby on the radio the other day and I knew it was perfect! I know it always puts me in the mood! Then I heard Boyz II Men's I'll Make Love to You and knew that was perfect for Fitz to sing to Olivia. (I make no claims of ownership to either of this sexy songs!)

Creepy Edison has cameras in Liv's apartment! Say it isn't so!

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments, they spur me one to write more.

As always, I do not own Scandal or its characters. But I wish I did!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Morning After**

For the second morning in a row, Olivia wakes up in Fitz's arms. He is staring at her with a slight smile on his face.

"Good morning handsome," she says.

"Good morning to you too beautiful."

"You aren't going to go workout this morning?"

"I think I had a pretty good workout in last night," he chuckles.

She blushes and buries her head in his chest. She feels a little embarrassed about the way she cut loose last night. He just had this way of making her feel so sexy and turned on all the time that she couldn't help herself. The Jack and Cokes probably didn't help either.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you too much in front of your friends."

"No way! They really liked you. Trust me, Petra would have cut you off at the knees about 5 minutes after meeting you if she didn't like you. She's a pretty good judge of character. I think the guys may have been a little jealous though."

"Jealous, of me? Why in the world would they be jealous?"

"Not of you, of me. Jealous because I got to go home with the hottest girl in the room. Jealous because I got to make that girl scream my name all night long." He runs his hand up and down the smooth skin on her back. It feels like silk on his fingers.

She thinks about the events of the previous evening and begins to feel a warm tingle between her legs. Fitz senses her growing arousal and kisses her gently behind her ear traveling down her neck.

"Oh Livvie, you are so sweet." He moves his hand from her back to her front. Massaging her breasts and then letting his hand run down the flat plane of her stomach. His fingers creep slowly towards her center. He slides one finger down into her folds and she shudders slightly in his arms.

Suddenly, she sits straight up in bed. "Shit, shit, shit!"

He quickly removes his hand from her wet goodness. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?" He feels guilty assuming that she would want to have sex again with him so soon. "I'm sorry Livvie, I shouldn't have assumed . . . ."

"It's not that Fitz. Just answer one question, did you use a condom last night?"

Now Fitz sits up in the bed, "Shit, shit, shit!"

"I guess that answers my question. How could we have been so stupid! You don't know me, I don't know you. For all we know either one of us could have some horrible dreaded disease and now we have shared it with each other! Or I could be pregnant right now!" She hops out of bed and begins to pace around the room in circles.

"Livvie, calm down. Listen," he gets out of bed and walks over to her resting his hands lightly on her shoulders, "I got tested recently and can show you my results. I am completely clean. As for being pregnant, don't they have a pill for this sort of thing?"

Her breathing begins to return to normal. "I think it's called the morning after pill. I'm pretty sure I can pick one up at the pharmacy on my way to work."

"See, nothing to worry about. We just need to be more careful next time."

"What makes you think there is going to be a next time mister?" She looks up at him with a smirk.

"Because you can't resist me," he says as he bends down to kiss her.

"Hey, aren't you going to ask me if I am clean?" she inquires.

"Livvie, I trust you. But, you are right, we should have been more careful. So in the spirit of full disclosure, Miss Pope, are you free from any and all sexually transmitted diseases," he says lightly.

"I am Mr. Grant and I have the documentation to prove it. Besides like I told you last night, it has been awhile since . . . "

"Right, you did mention that. Well, since you have moved to active duty status, how about we get in a little more practice before work?" he asks as he drops his hands from her shoulders, down to her waist, pulling her flush to his body. His growing erection caught between them.

"Sounds like an excellent idea Mr. Grant," she giggles.

He scoops her up and lightly throws her on the bed. He hovers over her and stares down into her rich dark brown eyes before kissing her.

Soon their hands, lips and tongues are roaming each other's body. Olivia thought she would lose her mind when Fitz went down on her and sucked her clit like it was his favorite lollipop. He had never felt anyone as tight as Olivia was, since he and Jenny Newsome gave each other their virginity at summer camp the year he turned 17. And although the sensation of being unsheathed inside of Olivia last night was amazing, he quickly slides on a condom before entering her sweet spot. It still felt pretty spectacular to be inside of her. Several minutes later Olivia yells out his name in ecstasy. The sound of her cries sends Fitz over the edge shortly after her.

"You have some truly amazing skills Fitz," Olivia says as he rolls off of her.

"I aim to please," he says with a hearty laugh.

He pulls her to his side and kisses the top of her head. It feels so natural to be this way together. They both sigh contentedly. Neither one wants to express how they really feel at this moment, afraid it will scare the other one away.

"Fitz, as amazing as it is being with you this way . . . "

"Ugh, don't say it Livvie!"

"We have to get up and get ready for work," she says pulling away from his embrace.

"Why can't we just stay here cuddled up together. Stay and I'll cook you breakfast. I make delicious pancakes."

"Fitz, I would love to but I can't. It's my first week on the job, I can't play hooky. Sorry baby." She pecks him on the lips and gets out of bed looking for her clothes. She finds her skirt and picks it up.

"Well if you won't stay, can I at least see you tonight after work?" he practically begs her.

She turns and looks at him, "Are you sure? I don't want you getting tired of me." She wants nothing more than to spend every free moment with him, but she doesn't want to come off as too clingy.

"Livvie if it were up to me, we would never be apart again."

His response is so honest and direct that she turns to look at him shocked by his statement. Fitz reads the shock on her face and immediately regrets blurting out his feelings.

"Livvie, I don't know why I said that," he says quickly.

"So you didn't mean it?" she inquires but he doesn't answer her. He sits up on the side of the bed with his back to her.

"Fitz, look at me."

He doesn't move.

"Fitz, please look at me."

He turns to face her. She can see panic and fear in his eyes. "Did you mean it?"

"Yes," he replies quietly as he drops his eyes from hers. He sees his boxers on the floor at his feet and he quickly picks them up and pulls them on. He feels vulnerable enough, without having this conversation naked.

"Wow," she says as she shimmies into her skirt.

Her response leaves him even less confident than before. "Livvie, I'm sorry . . . ."

She spots her top on the floor, picks it up and pulls it over her head. She walks to him and takes his hand, pulling him to her. His heart is beating wildly in his chest. She sits down on the bed and motions for him down next to her.

"Fitz," she says lifting his chin so that she can look him directly in the eye, "you don't have to apologize. I am just surprised that's all. We barely know each other. We have gone from strangers to sleeping together in less than a week. This," she waves her hand back and forth between them, "this confuses me. I told you before I am not promiscuous, but with you, I feel like this is where I am supposed to be. I don't feel like we are strangers. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to think that I was crazy."

Relief floods his body. "I guess we have a lot to talk about," he says.

"Yeah we do, but unfortunately I have to go get ready for work. How about we go to dinner tonight and we can talk about this more?"

"Sounds like a plan." He gives her his best smile.

"Great, so I will stop by when I get home." She leans over and gives him a tender kiss before she gets off the bed.

"Hey, let me walk you to the door." They walk together to his front door. "I'll see you tonight."

They kiss again briefly and then she leaves his apartment. He closes the door behind her and leans against it and starts to laugh. He can't believe he has fallen for a girl he has known for less than a week. But Olivia has captured his heart. He will do whatever it takes to make sure he captures hers. He heads back to his bedroom to get ready for the day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Olivia races through her morning routine and barely makes it out of the door on time. She had just reached the revolving doors of Doyle Energy when she remembers she was supposed to stop at the pharmacy.

"Shit," she mutters to herself.

"Such language Miss Pope," she hears from behind her.

She turns around to see Edison standing behind her with a slight frown on his face.

"Mr. Davis, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there," she stammers.

Suddenly he smiles at her, "I'm just kidding. What has you so flustered this morning?" He continues before she can answer, "Let me guess, out late last night and running late this morning?"

She tilts her head to one side and peers at him, _Does he know I was out last night? How would he know that?_ she thinks to herself. She can't shake the eerie feeling that Edison knows something about her evening activities and it worries her.

She gives him a half smile and says, "My alarm didn't go off and I got a late start this morning. I hate rushing, but I didn't want to make a bad impression by being late my third day on the job."

"Well you have no worries my dear, because you still have eight minutes before you are considered late. Besides there is nothing you could do that would lead me to a bad impression of you Olivia," he says leaning in closely to her placing a hand in the small of her back. His touch makes her shiver.

She forces a smile and continues walking to the elevators effectively removing his hand from her back. Everything about him makes her uncomfortable, his big white teeth, his overpowering cologne, his "handsy" attitude. She does not want to be alone with him in the confined space of the elevator, but there is no one else in the lobby with them. She presses the elevator call button.

"So Olivia, how have you enjoyed the city so far?" he asks, still standing too close.

"I have enjoyed my time here so far. I actually got a chance to explore my neighborhood the other night. I found a great . . . " the sound of her phone ringing interrupts her train of thought. She pulls her phone out of her purse and looks at the display, it's Fitz. She makes a mental note to reward him this evening for his perfect timing.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call," she says as she steps away from Edison and the now open elevator doors. "Go on up without me, I will be right there," she says with a smile.

Edison frowns briefly and then steps into the elevator, "I'll see you upstairs Olivia, don't be long, I would hate for you to be late."

"Of course not," she replies sweetly. The doors close as she taps the accept button on her phone.

"Hey handsome," she purrs into the phone.

"Hello yourself beautiful."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just wanted to hear your voice one more time this morning."

"Oh, that is so sweet and your timing couldn't be more perfect. You just saved me from having to ride up in the elevator alone with Edison. That guy is so creepy."

"What happened, did he say or do something to you?" Fitz can feel his anger rising.

"I can't talk about it now, I don't want to be late, but I will fill you in later at dinner, okay?"

"Okay, but you keep your distance from this guy, alright."

"Trust me I will. Gotta go babe."

"Bye Livvie."

She hangs up the phone and heads back to the elevator. Luckily for her the ride is non-stop from the lobby to the 25th floor. She arrives at her desk and boots up her computer with three minutes to spare.

"Somebody is cutting it close this morning," Hope says over the cubicle wall.

"I know, it has been a crazy morning," she says with a sigh.

"What happened?"

Olivia doesn't want to divulge her sex fueled evening with Fitz or their frantic morning lovemaking session to Hope.

"My alarm didn't go off so I was running late this morning and then I almost got stuck riding the elevator alone with Mr. Davis. He really creeps me out."

Just then Olivia's desk phone rang, "Olivia Pope," she answers.

"Olivia, can you please come into my office?" Edison requests.

"I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and grabbed a pen and a notebook. "Mr. Creepy wants to see me," she whispers to Hope.

"Good luck," Hope says.

Olivia knocks on the half opened door of Edison's office, "You wanted to see me Mr. Davis?"

"Yes, please have a seat," he motions to one of the client chairs in front of his desk.

Olivia takes a seat and waits for him to continue.

He eyes her coolly from behind his desk. "I wanted to remind you, Ms. Pope, of our corporate policy about making and/or receiving personal phone calls on company time," he says tersely over his steepled fingers.

She is a little taken aback by his attitude. "I am aware of the policy Mr. Davis. If you are referring to the phone call I accepted in the lobby that was before company hours. I was at my desk on time. Check my computer log in time if you don't believe me." She makes a concerted effort to keep the anger she felt for him out of her voice.

"Was your call important?"

She realizes that he is fishing, trying to find out who she was talking to on the phone. She doesn't want to tell him about Fitz, so she quickly comes up with a plausible story.

"It was my friend Abby. She is backpacking through Europe this summer and she calls me once a week to let me know that she is alive," she lies smoothly.

Suddenly his mood changes, he relaxes his hands and sits back in his chair, "Oh, I see. Well, that's very responsible of her."

"We have been friends for a long time, we are like family. She knows I would worry if I don't hear from her at least once a week. Was there anything else Mr. Davis?"

"No that was it for now Olivia." He flashes her a bright white smile.

She gets up and walks towards the door. She can feel his eyes roaming over her backside as she moves across the office.

"Oh Olivia, please call me Edison. Mr. Davis is my father." She smiles and gives him a brief head nod and exits his office.

Once at her desk she groans silently. She resumes working on the wind energy project trying to put Edison out of her mind. The morning flies by and before she knows it lunch time has arrived. She quickly shuts down her laptop and heads for the elevators. She plans to go to the pharmacy on her lunch hour to get the "morning after pill".

"Off to lunch Olivia?" Edison calls out to her.

_Damn, does this man have a GPS chip on me, _she thinks. "Yes off to lunch."

"Why don't you join me for lunch? We can talk about the wind energy project you are working on."

She definitely did not want to go to lunch with Edison, especially alone.

"That would be nice, but unfortunately I have an appointment to keep at lunch. Maybe some other time?"

A flash of anger crosses his face but he quickly regains his composure. "Yes, maybe some other time." He quickly walks away.

Olivia sighs and steps into the elevator. Before the doors close she sees Hope coming out of one of the conference rooms. Her clothes look a little disheveled and her eye make-up is smeared. The doors close before Olivia can call out to her. She makes a mental note to check on Hope after lunch.

After a quick stop at the pharmacy, Olivia stops by a nearby deli for lunch. She takes the "morning after pill" with a sip of her iced tea, tossing the blister pack into her purse. As she sits at the small table eating her half a sandwich and side salad, Hope walks in.

"Hope, Hope over here," she calls out.

Hope turns and nods at her before placing her lunch order at the counter. She comes over and sits with Olivia. Although her clothes and make-up are now back in place, Hope is not acting like her normal chatty self.

"Are you okay Hope?" Concern laces her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a busy morning," she replies not meeting Olivia's eyes.

Olivia doesn't want to push her, so she changes the subject. "Guess who invited me to lunch today? Mr. Creepy himself."

"How did you get out of it? I didn't think he would take no for an answer."

"I told him I had an appointment at lunch. There is no way I wanted to be alone with him. I don't like the way he looks at me."

"It's best you don't find yourself alone with any of them," she whispers.

Before Olivia can ask her what she means, Hope hears her order number called. "See you back at the office Olivia." She gets up and goes to the counter to pay for and retrieve her food. She doesn't look back at Olivia as she exits the deli.

Olivia quickly gathers her things and rushes out after Hope. "Hope wait!" She does a half jog to catch up to her.

"Hope, what is going on? Talk to me. Please?"

Hope puts a fake smile on her face and turns to her, "There's nothing to tell Olivia. I had a busy morning that's all. I'm fine, don't worry about me."

Olivia reaches out grasps Hope by the arm, "I know that we are virtually strangers, but we are both in the same situation. New in the city, still a little green around the edges. We need each other to make it through this summer. We are all alone here in this big city and it can be lonely and scary. Talk to me. Let me try to help you."

Hope opens her mouth to speak but then changes her mind. "Thanks for the concern, but I am fine."

They don't speak as they walk back to the office or for the rest of the day for that matter. Several hours later, after shutting down her computer for the day, Olivia pokes her head into Hope's cubicle.

"Want to walk out together?"

"I can't, I still have to meet with Mr. Stahlbridge to go over some reports. I'll see you tomorrow." She gathers a pile of folders as she stands up from her desk.

"Hope . . . ."

"Let it go Olivia. Just let it go." Hope walks down the hall to the conference room.

Olivia shakes her head. Helping Hope is going to be a challenge. Much like avoiding being alone with Edison is going to be a challenge.

She quickly scans the area to see if Edison is lurking around and is relieved when she sees him in Mr. Conroy's office. She quickly makes her way to the elevators. It seems like years before the car arrives. She steps in and pushes the button for the lobby. Just as the doors are about closed, a hand appears and the doors reopen. Edison stands on the other side. He quickly steps inside standing close to her.

"Olivia, calling it a night?"

"Yes, it's been a long day. Productive, but long."

"Why don't we go grab a drink?"

"Oh thank you for the offer, but I can't this evening."

"Well that's twice today that you have turned me down. If I didn't know any better Olivia, I would think you are avoiding me." His voice has become icy.

Olivia knows she needs to come up with a plausible excuse and fast. "I am taking a couple of online summer courses and tonight I need to Skype with one of my study groups." She hopes like hell that he doesn't ask for any further details.

"Well I wouldn't want to interfere with your studies." The elevator finally reaches the lobby and they exit, "Good night Olivia. I hope your study group is productive."

"I'm sure it will be. Well, good night." She quickly walks out of the building.

Edison watches her walk away. He slips into the back of the waiting Town Car. He knows that Olivia is lying to him about her evening activities. He senses her wariness anytime he gets close to her. It doesn't bother him though, in his mind it will make the conquest of her even much sweeter. He heads home, eager to see what Olivia is really up to this evening.

A/N: I don't even know what to say about the season finale. I hate the state of Olitz these days. Why can they NEVER be happy? Why does Olivia always run? I know it is probably foolish to think that SR will reunite them right away in Season 4. One can dream!

I will say that TG was flawless in the Oval scene when he fell to his knees under the heavy burden of all the crap that has happened to put him in the White House. I wanted to jump through the screen and hold him! (Who am I kidding, I want to jump through the screen and hold him every week.)

Thank you to all of those who posted comments. I truly enjoy your reactions to my story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Love Connection**

At the end of his shift, Fitz races out of the parking lot at work. All he wants is to get home to Olivia. He knows their discussion may put an end to their budding relationship, but he has never looked forward to anything more in his life. In his heart he knows he is supposed to be with Olivia. He is connected to her in a way he has never felt before. He works his way home through rush hour traffic anxious to see his Livvie.

Once home, Fitz does a light workout, since he didn't get a proper one that morning and to help burn up some of the nervous energy he has. He showers and puts on basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He quickly straightens up his apartment, washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom, and finally putting fresh sheets on the bed before he makes it up. He debates on what to wear for his evening with Livvie. After a few minutes, he selects a pair of black dress pants and a deep purple oxford shirt. Now all he has to do is wait for Olivia to get home.

Forty-five minutes later his phone begins to play "Do Me Baby" he knows its Livvie, he made this her ringtone this morning in honor of her performance at karaoke night. His mind flashes briefly to her performance of this song and his dick twitches just a little bit.

"Hello my sweet Livvie," he says in a low sexy voice. He can hear her moan slightly.

"Hi babe. I am just getting home," she says as she puts her key in the lock and opens her door.

"Let's forget going out and you just come over here and let me make love to you all night." She smiles as she runs a hand through her hair. "You are so bad. I'll see you in thirty."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edison arrives home and heads directly to the video room. He enters his code and suddenly Olivia's apartment appears before him. She is not home.

"Damn that woman, where is she?" he says out loud. Frustrated, he heads to the bar to pour himself a drink.

He walks back to the video room with the intention of shutting down the feed when Olivia appears on the screen. She is on the phone, "You are so bad. I'll see you in thirty." She smiles as she runs a hand through her hair.

Edison's eyes are trained on her every movement. He moves closer to the screen as she enters her bedroom.

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Olivia calls Fitz when she enters the building.

"Hello my sweet Livvie," he says in a low sexy voice.

She lets out a small moan at the pure sexiness of his voice. Instantly she is wet, just with him saying her name. This man is going to be the death of her.

"Hi babe. I am just getting home," she says as she puts her key in the lock and opens her door.

"Let's forget going out and you just come over here and let me make love to you all night." She smiles as she runs a hand through her hair. "You are so bad. I'll see you in thirty."

She heads back to the bedroom to get ready. Putting her purse and phone on the dresser, she kicks off her pumps and opens the closet door. She selects a lavender halter dress with matching lavender pumps.

She walks to the bathroom and starts the shower. She undresses quickly and puts her hair up in a ponytail before she slips on her shower cap. Stepping into the shower, she closes the glass door behind her and begins to wash. All the while she is humming "Do Me Baby".

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Edison is in awe of the beauty before him on the screen. As he watches her undress, revealing perky breasts, a perfectly flat stomach and a firm high round ass, he imagines that her mocha color skin would feel like the finest silk under his hands.

He can just make out her silhouette in the steamed up shower door. Imagining her running a soapy wash cloth all over her body makes him groan and rub his dick. Realizing what he is doing he quickly pulls his hand away. Touching oneself is something that a lesser man would do, he thinks to himself. He takes a sip of scotch to steady his nerves.

Any notion of being a superior man went out the window when Olivia stepped out of the shower. Water droplets cling to her body and sparkle like diamonds. She is humming a song that he can't quite place as she towels off. She hangs up her towel and grabs a bottle of lotion. He watches her every movement as she rubs lotion on her body. His hands fly to undo his pants in order to free his member and he begins to stroke himself vigorously when she rubs lotion all over her breasts. He about loses his mind when she props one foot up on the side of the tub and bends over in order to put lotion on her legs and feet. As he watches her perfect round ass hiked up in the air accompanied with catching a brief glimpse of her sweet treasure box, he finds himself going over the edge calling her name out in a low grunt. His eyes stay glued to the screen as Olivia gets dressed. When she leaves the apartment he turns off the monitors and heads to his bathroom for a long cold shower.

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After putting on her favorite vanilla scented lotion, Olivia slips into a white lace panty and bra set. She quickly applies a little make-up and runs a comb through her hair leaving long loose curls hanging down to her shoulders. She returns to the bedroom and pulls on her dress and steps into her shoes. Doing a quick spin in front of the mirror she is satisfied with her appearance. She grabs her purse and phone off the dresser and fairly skips out her front door.

The butterflies in her stomach double as she knocks on Fitz's door. He must have been standing right by the door, because he opens it before she finished her first rap on the door.

He stands slack jawed and wide eyed, just staring at her. She is so beautiful.

"Fitz, are you okay?" she asks after a few moments of enduring his staring.

He blinks hard several times before he replies, "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

She blushes slightly and shakes her head no. Fitz reaches out and cups her cheek in his hand, rubbing his thumb gently over her lips.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. Thank you for coming into my life Olivia Pope. No matter what we decide tonight about us, I will always want you in my life."

There are no words she can utter that will convey to him the love she feels for him at this moment, so she just leans in and kisses him tenderly on the lips. He pulls her close and deepens their kiss. They both moan as they each open their mouths and their tongues meet. Hearts pound and blood races as they stand at the threshold and convey the love they each feel for the other through this kiss. When Fitz begins to pull her into his apartment, she breaks their connection.

"Oh no mister," she says breathlessly, "you promised me dinner. Let's go." She disengages herself from his embrace and begins walking away from him.

Watching her perfect ass sashay away from him, he quickly closes and locks his door and follows her down the stairs and out of their building. He hails a cab and they spend the ride holding hands and exchanging tender kisses.

"Here you go lovebirds," the cabbie calls out as he pulls up to the curb. Fitz pays the cabbie, giving him a large tip, and they exit the cab.

He chose a quaint French restaurant, Amoureux, for their night out. They are seated in one of the restaurant's secluded booths and quickly place their drink orders, a dirty martini for her and a scotch neat for him. Neither one says anything for a few moments, they just sit across the booth from one another holding hands. Their drinks arrive and they each take a nerve settling sip. They peruse the menu silently.

"The Boeuf Bourgignon sounds good," Fitz comments.

"I think the Lobster poached in Truffle butter is calling my name," Olivia counters.

When the waiter returns Fitz places their order, adding an appetizer of Escargots.

"I am not eating snails," Olivia tells him.

"Oh come on Livvie, be adventurous," he says with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Not going to happen. Enjoy them, they are all yours."

"Your loss," he chuckles.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a few moments, enjoying their drinks and the feel of their entwined fingers. Finally Olivia can't wait to broach the subject any longer.

"So are we going to talk about this morning?"

Fitz takes a sip of scotch and lets out a shaky breath. He looks Olivia directly in the eyes, "I meant every word I said this morning. I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to be without you. I know that we have only known each other for a few days, but it doesn't feel that way." He hesitates briefly, weighing the pros and cons of his next statement. He doesn't want to scare her away, but he can't hold back the way that he feels. "I am in love with you Olivia."

Before she can respond, the waiter arrives with the Escargots. This diversion gives her a moment to absorb what Fitz just said. How can this man that she has known for _**days **_be in love with her? But if she is really truthful with herself, he has only voiced the very same feelings she has had herself. But she still questions their feelings, is this based on the mind blowing sex that they have had or is it based on heartfelt emotion? The last thing she wants is to declare her love for him only to figure out later it was lust not love.

He is stares at her afraid of what is going through her mind, afraid because she hasn't said anything in the last five minutes.

"Livvie?"

"Fitz, I . . . . I don't know what to say."

"Say what you feel Livvie. Just tell me how you feel. I promise, I can take it." His heart is beating so hard that he wouldn't be surprised if he has a bruise on his chest in the morning.

She takes a couple of long sips from her martini, delaying her response to him. Ultimately she has to decide between her heart and her head. Her heart is yelling for her to tell him she loves him that she can't live without him as well; no matter how crazy and impulsive it seems. Her head on the other hand demands that she stop thinking that life is a romance novel. It can't really be love it's just not practical. They have known each other for a few days, hell she could calculate it down to the hours and minutes it was so recent. They are strangers who engaged is some, while quite spectacular, reckless sex. There was nothing more to it than that. Right?

"Livvie, please say something," he pleads. His blue eyes betray the fear he feels. Fear that he has pushed her too far too soon. Fear that she will reject him. Fear that she does not love him back.

Suddenly everything is crystal clear to her. As clear as his perfect blue eyes. She knows what she should do. She picks up her fork and reaches across the table and extracts one of the meaty bits from its shell. She plops it in her mouth and begins to chew. She enjoys the rich buttery, garlic taste. She smiles at Fitz.

"I suddenly feel very adventurous," she declares. She giggles to herself as she sees the confusion on Fitz's face. "May I have another?"

He can only nod in response. She spears another tidbit and again revels in the taste. "I never knew I could fall in love so quickly," she states causally.

Fitz can only assume that she is referring to the plate of Escargots which she seems to be enjoying immensely. He pushes the plate toward her, "Here you can have the rest," he responds quietly. He can only assume since she is avoiding responding to his declaration of love that she does not feel the same way.

"I not talking about the snails, silly. I am talking about you. I am in love with you too." She gives him a wink and a smile.

It takes him a moment to process what she said. "Really Livvie?"

"Really Fitz. I know it's crazy, but . . . "

Before she can finish her thought, Fitz springs from his side of the booth and slides in next to her. Taking her face in his hands he kisses her lips whispering over and over again, "I love you, I love you, I love you." Before the kissing can become too passionate, the waiter arrives with their entrées. The wonderful aromas cause them to separate and begin to dig into the food.

"Are we crazy?" she asks him after a few minutes. "I mean we don't know anything about each other and here we are declaring our love for each other."

"No we are not crazy. I have always believed in love at first sight. As for not knowing anything about each other, we have plenty of time to find out everything we need to know about each other."

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared about all of this," she confesses.

"I am a little scared too. But I have never felt this connected to anyone before Livvie. It just feels right."

"Will you answer just one question for me?"

"I will answer a million questions for you. What do you want to know?"

"Are you going to eat that last piece?" She points to the nearly empty Escargots plate. He laughs heartily as he spears the last piece and feeds it to her.

They finish off the meal by sharing a dish of raspberry and white chocolate Crème Brulee with cups of rich dark coffee.

Fitz leans back in the booth and puts his arm around Olivia's shoulders. He lays his head on top of hers and sighs contentedly.

"Can I ask you something Livvie?"

"Of course." She snuggles into him.

"Can I take you home and make passionate love to you all night?"

"I thought you would never ask. Get the check so we can get out of here."

"Yes ma'am." He signals for the waiter to bring the check.

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They ride home in silence, holding hands and exchanging tender kisses. Arriving at their building, Fitz pays the taxi driver and they walk hand in hand into the building and up to her door. She fishes her key out of her purse and unlocks the door. Fitz follows her inside, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Do you want a drink?" She asks as she places her purse on the cocktail table.

He shakes his head no. He stands with his back to the door staring at her with his fiery blue eyes. She feels a little self-conscious.

"Do I have snail in my teeth?" She asks in an effort to break the tension she feels.

He walks to her grabs her hand and leads her down the hallway to the bedroom all without saying a word. They stand facing each other at the foot of her bed. Leaning down to kiss her tenderly, he pulls at the string at the base of her neck. Her dress falls to her feet and she is left standing before him in her white lace bra and panties and lavender pumps. She trembles with excitement.

Olivia begins to unbutton his shirt, planting kisses along his chest as it becomes more exposed. When she reaches the end of his shirt, she drops to her knees and begins to unbuckle his belt.

"No Livvie," he says pulling her up from the floor embracing her, "you don't have to do that."

"Fitz . . . "he cuts off her protest with a passionate kiss. Their tongues entwine and their hands roam freely.

He quickly unsnaps her bra and slides it down and off her arms. He bends forward to suckle her taunt nipples, moving back and forth between them. She cradles his head to her chest, running her fingers through his silky hair.

"Oh god," she moans. "Make love to me."

Fitz scoops her up in his arms and deposits her on the bed. He quickly removes the rest of his clothing and joins her on the bed. They lay on their sides facing each other, indulging in long slow kisses. The overwhelming desire to be more connected to her has Fitz sitting up and frantically removing her panties and tossing them off the side of the bed. He hovers over her body and she opens her legs to accept him. He slowly enters her slick walls, rejoicing in their connection. Soon the room is filled with the soft moans and sighs of their lovemaking. Their movements are slow and deliberate. This is about expressing their feelings for one another, about being connected on all levels with the one person who you love the most. They make love into the wee hours of the morning.

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Edison decides to check in on Olivia before he retires for the night. His blood boils when he sees the images on the screen. Olivia is fucking another man! The bitch. She has rebuffed him at every turn and now here she is fucking some random guy. He knows from the company background check they completed on her that she doesn't know anyone here in the city. So this guy she is currently allowing to bang her brains out is someone that she has met since arriving in New York.

He watches as Olivia reaches her climax. He has to admit that she looks beautiful as she comes. But this does not dampen the anger he feels that it is "Mr. Random Guy" who is making her moan and not him.

"Oh Miss Pope, you will pay for this," he says venomously. He shuts down the video feed and stalks off to bed. He lays there for hours plotting how to make her pay.

A/N: Hello fellow Gladiators. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out, I am having a little bit of writers block. The story is coming together slowly but surely.

I love your comments about creepy Edison. I NEVER liked him on the show. His character always seemed slimy to me, so I wanted him to be extra creepy in my story. Looks like it worked.

I am not sure what will happen to Hope at this point. I have a couple of ideas on which way it could go. You will just have to wait and see.

Thank you to all of those who posted comments. I truly enjoy your reactions to my story. Keep them coming, they are a good motivator for me!


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